The provinces of Brazil were the primary subdivisions of the country during the period of the Kingdom of Brazil (1821–1822) and then of the Empire of Brazil (1822–1889).
On February 28, 1821, the provinces were established in the Kingdom of Brazil (then part of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves), superseding the captaincies that were in place at the time.
Provinces of 1821 Name Entity since Note Alagoas 1817 Capitania de Alagoas split from the Capitania de Pernambuco Bahia Province 1501 Ceará Province 1822 Cisplatina 1821 Banda Oriental (present-day Uruguay) annexed by the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and incorporated into the Kingdom of Brazil under the name of Província Cisplatina.) Espírito Santo Province 1534 Goiás Province 1744 Capitania Geral de Goiás split from Capitania Geral de São PauloArchaic spelling: Goyaz Grão-Pará Province 1775 Maranhão Province 1535 Mato Grosso Province 1748 Archaic spelling: Matto Grosso Minas Gerais Province 1720 Archaic spelling: Minas Geraes Paraíba Province 1574 Archaic spelling: Parahyba Piauí Province 1718 Split from the Estado do Maranhão as the Capitania do PiauíArchaic spelling: Piauhy Pernambuco Province 1534 Rio de Janeiro Province 1565 Rio Grande do Norte Province 1530 created as the Capitania do Rio Grande Santa Catarina Province 1738 Capitania de Santa Catarina split from the Capitania de São PauloArchaic spelling: Santa Catharina São Paulo 1720 Capitania de São Paulo split from the Capitania de São Paulo e Minas de Ouro São Pedro do Rio Grande do Sul Province 1760 Sergipe Province 1590
Changes from 1821–1889
1821 The captaincies of Brazil are renamed provinces.
The present-day Uruguay is occupied by the Portuguese Army and incorporated in Brazil as its Cisplatine Province.
1822 Independence of Brazil, with the provinces becoming provinces of the Empire of Brazil.
1823 The last Brazilian provinces that remained loyal to the Portuguese Government in Lisbon adhere to the Empire of Brazil.
1828 Cisplatina Province became the independent state of Uruguay.
1834 The city of Rio de Janeiro, the imperial capital, was removed from the province of Rio de Janeiro, and was included in the Neutral Municipality. At the same time, the capital of the province of Rio de Janeiro was transferred to Niterói.
1850
Grão-Pará split into Amazonas and Pará.
1889 In 1889 the Empire of Brazil became the Republic of the United States of Brazil and the provinces became states. The Neutral Municipality that included the city of Rio de Janeiro became the Federal District.
See also States of Brazil Captaincies of Brazil
References